Spinach Strawberry Salad Fresh (Printable View)

Tender spinach, fresh strawberries, crunchy nuts, and a sweet poppy seed dressing combine in a bright, fresh dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Salad

01 - 5 oz fresh baby spinach leaves
02 - 9 oz strawberries, hulled and sliced
03 - ½ cup toasted pecans or sliced almonds
04 - ½ cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)
05 - 2 tablespoons red onion, thinly sliced (optional)

→ Sweet Poppy Seed Dressing

06 - ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
07 - 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
08 - 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
09 - 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
10 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
11 - ¼ teaspoon sea salt
12 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# How to Make It:

01 - In a large salad bowl, mix spinach, strawberries, nuts, feta cheese, and red onion if using.
02 - Whisk olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, poppy seeds, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until emulsified.
03 - Drizzle dressing over salad just before serving and gently toss to coat evenly.
04 - Serve immediately to preserve freshness and crunch.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in 15 minutes, which means you can go from craving salad to eating it faster than opening a takeout container.
  • The sweet-tart dressing with poppy seeds is so good you'll want to drizzle it on everything else for weeks.
  • It somehow tastes both elegant and completely unfussy—the kind of thing you can serve at a dinner party or eat straight from the bowl.
02 -
  • Dress this salad at the last possible second; spinach and dressing are like water and oil, and they'll start breaking down the second they meet.
  • If you're adding feta, crumble it with your hands instead of cutting it—the irregular pieces catch the dressing better and taste less uniform and more interesting.
03 -
  • Make the dressing first thing and let it sit for five minutes—it'll taste more rounded and intentional.
  • Pat your spinach dry before adding it to the bowl, or you'll end up with diluted dressing and regret.
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